The good garden blog is about sharing garden inspiration and ideas from historic gardens around the world and some right next door. Garden stories explore garden history, design, and the garden people behind famous and not-so-famous gardens.My garden photographs span dozens of places across 5 continents. Please join me in celebrating good garden design.

A bench in a garden is an invitation to sit down, relax, take in a view. At the end of a path, a bench provides a focal point. A bench furnishes a place to go to, a destination, and a sense of shelter.

A good bench reinforces the overall feel and design of the garden. Rough-hewn wood benches work well in picturesque gardens; fine teak benches lend a more formal style; a simple log bench emphasizes the rustic ambiance of a garden, and benches with grass seats were popular in the medieval garden.

Scroll over each of the photos above to learn more about these gardens.